Lift roller for venetian blinds



June 1952 F. J. BURNS LIFT ROLLER FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Filed Dec. '7,1949 MH HII...

INVENTOR. 2%

A TTORNE) Patented June 3, 1952 LIFT'ROLLER- FOR VENETIAN BLINDS-Fred'J. Burns Saginaw, Mich., assignor tc'The GolumbiaMills, Inc.,Syracuse-, N. Y.-

Application December 1,1949, SerialNo. 131,540

This invention relates to lift members for Venetian blinds and the like,and more particularly to a hollow, cylindrical head member on which thelift cords are wound for lifting and tilting the blind as the blindcontrol means is actuated.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to design a very simple,practical, and substantial head member, and provide means thereon toform a tape guide and winding; spool, for the ladder tape and lift cordsof the blind. 7

Another object of the invention is to design an easily assembled tapeguide and winding spool which can be quickly assembled on the headmember, and further provide means for locking them in assembled positionand relation on said head member.

A further object is to provide a tape guide and spool assembly which canbe economically formed, and provide a simple, readily-accessibleanchorage on said spool assembly for anchoring the Venetian blind liftcord thereto.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a head memberwhich includes a standard cylindrical roller having split spool sectionsmounted thereon, and provide means engageable with said split sectionsfor securing them in assembled relation and also forming a finish forthe ends thereof.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consistsin the combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood thatchanges may be made in the form, size, proportion, and minor details ofconstruction, without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front-elevational view of a window frame showing a Venetianblind equipped with the improved head member mounted thereon, the faciastrip being broken away to show the head member.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, detail of the assembled head member or roller.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary view showing one of the tape guidesand winding spool assemblies in position, the broken lines indicating anexploded view and showing the spool sections and ferrules prior toassembly.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, transverse-sectional view taken on the line 4-4of Fig. 2.

Referring now more specifically to Fig. 1 of the drawing in which I haveshown a Venetian blind Bmounted in a. window frame 5, said blindcomprising a head member 6 which is mounted in suitable brackets I inthe usual manner.

The blind member includes two ladder tapes indicated at 88, which laddertapes rest on the assembled head member but are not secured thereto, anda plurality of slats 9 are mounted in the ladder tapes 8 with abottomrail- I0 provided on the lower ends of the tapes-as usual, and I shallnot show or describe the operationof the blind in detail, as thisinvention is directed broadly to the construction and assembly of theroller, tape guide and spool assembly which make up the head member. Afacia strip ll effectively conceals the head member etc. from view andharmonizes with the slats of the blind.

The head member 6 is preferably hollow and can be formed of metal withwood plugs I2 in the ends thereof, and in which the gudgeons I3 and Mrespectively are mounted, these gudgeons being driven into the woodplugs a distance necessary so that the head member is readily mountablein the head brackets and so that the head members can be readily fittedand provide for limited adjustment where necessary.

As previously stated, the roller is of conventional construction, andthe tape guide and winding spool is made up of two semi-cylindricalsections C-C which when assembled, form a shouldered cylindrical memberS, the center section l6 of which fits snugly on the roller, and aplurality of indents l I are provided in the spool and rollerrespectively to prevent rotation of the member S on the roller.

Enlarged shouldered sections l8l8 are formed integral with and adjacentthe center section l6, and an opening I9 is provided in the end wall ofthe spool to accommodate a lift cord 20 which is threaded therethrough,the end of the cord beingknotted (not shown) so that it forms a firmanchorage and permits the lift cord to be wound on the spool withoutslippage. The end sections 2|--2I of the member S are also enlarged, andferrules 22-22 are fitted over these enlarged end sections to hold thesections C-C in assembled relation.

To assemble the cap guide and spool, it is merely necessary to take thetwo formed sections C-C, place them in proper position on the headmember '6, thread the lift cord through the opening I!) and knot the endthereof to form an anchor. The ferrules 22-22 are then slid over theends of the rollers and are fitted over the ends of the sections 2l2l,thus tightly securing the sections in assembled relation and forming aclosure and finish for the open ends thereof.

The center section 16 of each member C--C forms a spool on which thelift cord 20 is wound to raise or lower the blind, while the enlargedsections 18-48 serve to support the ladder tape, this ladder tapebridging the spool and hearing on the sections l8l8, the roller 5rotating with relation to the tape, and the tape may rotate with theroller when the slats are being tilted.

The instant construction and arrangement provides a very compact,economical and substantial head member in which'the lift cord winds onthe spool section beneath the ladder tape. It can be easily assembledand forms a trim, clean and neat-appearing head rail in which there areno exposed rough edges.

From the foregoing description. it will be obvious that I have perfecteda very simple, practical and relatively inexpensive head member forVenetian blinds.

What I claim is:

A Venetian blind winding spool assembly adapted to be non-rotatablymounted on a portion of a cylindrical blind head rail havingcircumferentially spaced indentations, the combination comprising, ametallic, multi-shouldered member split on its horizontal centerlineinto identically similar, shell-like, complementary sections, the centerportion of the assembled complementary sections being of reduceddiameter toform a winding section with enlarged diameter ladder tapesupporting sections formed integral with and on opposite ends thereof,the end wall of one of said enlarged sections having an opening toaccommodate a knotted end of a blind raising cord, the end sections ofthe assembled complementary sections being of an enlarged diametergreater than said ladder tape supporting sections to prevent transversemovement of a blind ladder tape, and ring members telescopically fittedover the end sections of said assembled complementary sections, the oneend of each ring member being provided with an end wall having anopening for snugly accommodating the head rail to prevent longitudinalmovement of said spool thereon, the center portion of the assembledcomplementary sections including circumferentially-spaced,inwardlypressed indents adapted to be accommodated in the indentationsof said head rail.

FRED J. BURNS.

REFERENCE S CIT ED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 790,662 Reynolds May 23, 1905974,603 7 Schmidt Nov. 1, 1910 1,958,840 Baker May 15, 1934 2,175,549Nardulli et a1. Oct. 10, 1939 2,190,013 Byers Feb. 13, 1940 2,250,106Lorentzen July 23, 1941

